#4 – Make an idea notebook.Pinterest is the digital online version of an idea notebook. But some of us still enjoy the old-school ways of doing things — using paper, a pen, printed pictures, and a 3-ring notebook! Here’s my idea notebook for my dream home. You can make an idea notebook for just about anything: Your baby’s nursery, your first dog, the wardrobe of your dreams, places you want to travel, your ultimate bucket list… you get the idea!

#8 – Start a blog. It could be a mom blog where you talk about your personal experiences while being pregnant, and then share all of the exciting things about being a new mom with others online. Or, if there’s a topic you’re passionate about, handy with, or knowledgeable about in general… write about it on your own personal blog! Others will appreciate your honesty and experience when they’re trying to do the same things you’ve done and they’re researching the topic online. Here’s how to start a blog — and this is the path that I took to full-time writing.

#10 – Write reviews. When you’re stuck at home, you could write detailed reviews on your own personal website — or contribute your opinions and personal experience on sites like Epinions and Amazon. Your opinion is helpful to others! Sharing your 2-cents will help others make their own decisions before buying something or trying something new.

#13 – Make useful things for your dog. I’m talking about things like… a new dog bed for half the cost of buying one (…and NO sewing). A dog crate from an old piece of furniture you no longer use. A dog ramp — so your dog can get up on the bed or into the car easier. A dog house for the times when your dog has to spend long hours outside. And, of course, DIY dog toys. Here are lots more DIY dog ideas to get you started!

#14 – Clean something. Actually, I like to clean. So yeah, tackling a very specific cleaning project can be a motivating and fulfilling way to spend the day — for me. I like to save all of my favorite cleaning hacks and then dig into them on occasion when I’m ready to find some new home remedies to try — like when I’m stuck at home, bored.

#15 – Organize your recipes. I use Google Docs, but there are a number of computer programs, and cell phone apps, and 3-ring notebooks that help to simplify this process. Having your recipes grouped into meaningful categories and then streamlining the process of gathering, copying, and organizing them for faster retrieval is something that you and your family will benefit from for years to come. #16 – Participate in sweepstakes, rebates, and online offers. Some people take this so seriously that they’ve managed to score lots of big-ticket items that are both fun and practical. Or, you could do it just for fun and see what you happen to win. #17 – Find free & cheap stuff that’s available near you. This is one of my favorite ways to pass the time lately! Simply navigate to Facebook Marketplace (it’s free), adjust your location (I set it to 11 miles, because that’s the farthest I’m willing to travel), and then check out the results! Best of all, you can search for anything specific that you’ve been hoping to find a good deal on — like dog leashes, a Pilates machine, flower, pots, you name it.

#18 – Sell items you no longer use. Gone are the days of having to host a yard sale to get your gently used items in front of dozens of people at once. Now you can simply use Facebook! See how I use Facebook Marketplace to sell my stuff — I made almost $1,000 in my first 2 weeks of selling items online this way.

#19 – Reconnect with old friends or relatives. In this fast-paced world where everything’s online and people primarily communicate via text messages and social media, who wouldn’t enjoy reading a handwritten letter? If that’s not your style, then try to find old friends on Facebook and have fun re-connecting, looking at everyone’s photos, and chatting about old times. (As you can see, Facebook is a great source of fun things to do at home!)

#20 – Make a bucket list. A bucket list is merely a growing list of goals — a wish list of sorts. But instead of things you would like to buy (or receive), your bucket list is a list of things that you would like to do. You can create a bucket list for yourself… your family… your kids… even your dog… whatever you’re feeling at the moment. All that’s required is to jot down your thoughts, dreams, and wishes for the future. Here’s a fun Bucket List Journal that makes it easy to start ticking things off your list. TIP: Watch the movie The Bucket List first, and then make a bucket list for the rest of your life! Here’s why to do it. Here’s how to do it.

#21 – List your goals. By jotting down your life’s goals, you’ll start to feel that you are accomplishing much more every single day. What’s the difference between a bucket list and a list of goals?… Goals are clearly defined, measurable tasks that easily fit into your everyday life. A bucket list includes activities that you might (or might not) ever get the opportunity to do in life. This is one of the easiest things to do when you’re bored at home — and it’s motivating too!

#23 – Take an online course. Online courses are a great way to learn a new skill FAST. If you’ve been saving some online courses that you would like to try… now’s the time! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Become A Virtual Assistant & Work At Home – they show you how to be an online assistant helping companies and entrepreneurs complete tasks they don’t have time for. All of the training, resources, and support you need is provided.

How To Organize And Be Free Of Clutter – Jane Alais is a professional organizer. She teaches you how to simplify your daily chaos. This course is a great place to start when you’re feeling frustrated by clutter in your home.

Brain Training For Dogs – Adrienne Farricelli is a professional certified dog trainer. She shows you how to teach your dog 21 challenging games… as a way to improve dog obedience and behavior while having fun with your dog at the same time

#24 – Have a spa day.Pedicure… manicure… soaking bath… facial mask… foot massage… you get the idea! These pedicure shortcuts will come in handy — depending on whether you want a 3-minute quickie pedicure, a 5-minute soaking pedicure, or a luxurious 35-minute spa-like pedicure. Spa days are fun things to do at home with your spouse, your children, or your friends. Your day of pampering is well deserved!

#25 – Read. Either books or magazines you already own that you haven’t read yet (or want to read again) or books/magazines from the library or store. Personally, I found someone on Freecycle who recycles all the magazines she buys. After she’s read them, she passes them onto me! I then pass them onto someone else when I’m done, or share them with my own friends and relatives. The only other type of reading I do is to browse through my Pinterest boards and articles that I’ve bookmarked to read later — books aren’t really my thing.

#28 – Watch movies. There’s nothing like binge-watching an entire season (or many seasons) of a particular show… right? You can find movies online through sites like Hulu, Sling, Roku, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. These sites are great because they put literally thousands of movies right at your fingertips. Whether it’s one good movie or a season’s worth of shows in one sitting, this is one of the most fun things to do at home when you’re bored.

#29 – Play games in the backyard. Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t go outside! If friends and or family members are home with you, then games are some of the most popular things to do at home. You might already have some of these backyard games. If not, check out these DIY backyard games that are borderline genius — like a DIY sprinkler or water balloon fight!

#31 – Post your best ideas on social media. Sure, people usually share things to social media randomly (whenever the mood strikes) — to make themselves happy. But the idea here is to focus your efforts on making a difference in someoneelse’s life! One of the easiest ways to help people is to share your own experiences — so they can use that information to help them make a decision on something. Whichever one of these you choose to concentrate on will get your own unique ideas out to the masses. Some examples:

Share your favorite tips & ideas that are found online for one specific subject matter to a Pinterest board (or share many topics to many boards).

#33 – Make a time capsule. Gather items from around your house that reflect this year in your life. Items with dates on them are always good (newspaper, magazine, store receipt for something “big” that you bought, as well as a receipt to reflect the current price of groceries, gas, etc). Toss at least one print photo of yourself, and maybe a flash drive filled with some other memorable photos/videos from this year. Make a letter (or video) to your future self… or your child. Finally, put everything inside a durable container (like a holiday popcorn tin or a large Rubbermaid bin), seal the lid permanently, write today’s date and the date you intend to open it. (TIP: Pick an “open date” that’s way into the future — so it will be funny to look back on “how things used to be”.)

#34 – Clean up your Amazon wish list. My favorite online shopping hub is Amazon. So, whenever I have some downtime, I like to clean up my Amazon wish list. (By the way, I save everything there — not just Amazon items!) The process of cleaning up your wish list includes deleting items you’re no longer interested in or already bought, adding notes to items so you’ll remember who recommended each item to you, and re-organizing things so it will be easier to find items whenever you’re shopping online. That way, you’ll know exactly where to go the next time you’re wondering, “What was that new mascara I wanted to try?… Where are those items I’ve been saving for when I redecorate the powder room?” This works best when you create several Amazon wish lists for yourself to organize all of your saved items. For example, mine are:

Beauty & Personal Care

Books

Clothing, Shoes, Accessories

Dog Stuff

Food & Supplements

Gadgets & Electronics

Games, Puzzles, And Time Wasters

Household Items (I also have a few sub-cats: Household-Living Room, Household-Guest Room)

Music

Travel & Motorcycle Stuff

You can name them anything you want! (I also have a wishlist for each person in my circle of friends/family that I buy items for.)

#35 – Research your family tree. If you want to take the fast track toward exploring your family heritage, then start with popular websites like Genealogy.com or Ancestry.com. There are a number of other helpful genealogy resources as well. For example, if your family has lived in the same area for a long time, then the local library can be a useful resource — they can help you find old birth certificates and other family records. Stuck at home? This is a great way to spend the time!

#36 – Rearrange your furniture and/or wall decor. You don’t need to buy anything new in order to “redecorate” your home. You can spruce things up at home simply by moving things around! And with so many rooms to choose from in your house, you’ll likely run out of time before you run out of fun things to do at home to improve your home decor.

#37 – Turn an old laptop into a digital photo frame.This is really easy to do and it’s super cool to watch all of your favorite photos fill up the screen throughout the day — just as with a “real” digital photo frame. I currently have 3 old (very slow!) laptops in our house that are constantly shuffling through literally thousands of digital photos each and every day. Neither the age of the computer, nor how fast it is impacts your ability to use a laptop as a digital picture frame. This is such a fun way to relive all of those great memories… daily!

#40 – Play games. Some games (like online games and game apps) you can play by yourself. My favorites are the free web versions of Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Others (like board games) are more fun with your family or friends. One of the most fun things to do at home is to have a board game tournament — with the winner receiving a fun (valuable!) prize. With so many choices for games, you won’t be bored, despite the fact that you’re stuck at home.

#41- Shop online. Don’t overlook the fact that you can buy groceries and other household items online these days. Some places will even deliver the items to your house! (Fast food delivery, too.) It can be fun to simply explore all of your options for curbside groceries and fast-food delivery in your area.

#45 – Try DIY dog grooming. Instead of spending a fortune taking your dog somewhere else to get a bath, get brushed, a nail trim, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing… try doing these things yourself at home. I do all of my own dog grooming. It’s a great way to interact one-on-one with your dog. My dogs crave the one-on-one time, so they actually love being brushed, trimmed, and cleaned.

#46 – Get free prints of your digital photos. This is something you can set up to happen automatically each month — it’s a-mazing! Clearly, with all of the photo-related ideas that appear on this list of fun things to do at home, it’s obvious that I’m a digital photo fanatic! I mean, I have over 176,000 photos that I’ve taken stored on my hard drive (and copies of them all saved in the cloud) right now. But I actually think it’s fun selecting the free prints that you want to receive from the photos you’ve taken each month — and even more exciting going through the prints after they arrive!

#48 – Make a canvas print of your favorite photo. The fun lies in going through all your photos to find your favorite ones. Then, pick one (or a few) that would look great hanging on the wall in your home printed on a canvas! You can do this entirely online.

#49 – Cook something new. Try your hand at some of those recipes you’ve been saving. There’s no better time to explore your skills in the kitchen than when you’re stuck at home bored. Because everyone’s gotta eat! Here’s a fun idea… bake a loaf of homemade bread using only 4 ingredients. (Got beer? Then you can make bread!) And if you happen to have some dried yeast on hand, you might want to try this easy homemade bread recipe that’s more traditional.

#53 – Take funny pictures. Either use the filters on various smartphone apps, or simply try to capture your own clever poses and funny faces with your regular camera. Include yourself, your pets, your kids… whoever is home with you.

#54 – Have a staycation. Instead of viewing this as time stuck at home, view it as a staycation! If it’s warm outside, pitch a tent in your backyard and enjoy stargazing, eating smores, and making glow in the dark bubbles! If it’s cold outside, then enjoy a spa day at home or do some simple arts & crafts projects. If you’re not necessarily crafty but more Type-A, then adult coloring books are the perfect way to prevent boredom!

#56 – Fold money into fun shapes.It’s a fun hobby for many, a pastime for others — and a clever way to leave a tip when you go out to eat. This is one of those fun things to do at home now that will have a big payoff later — when you see the smile on the face of the person you’re giving folded money to!

#57 – Listen to a podcast. A podcast is simply a digital audio file — a recorded conversation between 2 or more people on a specific topic. To me, it’s similar to good old-fashioned talk radio, but the topics reflect today’s trends, by subject matter. The fun part comes in finding interesting podcasts to listen to! (By the way, podcasts are free.) Personally, I like the Bobby Bones Show and This Week In Google. Some podcasts, like the two I’ve mentioned, also have videos that accompany them — so you can watch what’s happening in the studio at the same time. TIP: You do not need to use “a specific” podcast player listen to any podcast — just pick one that has the format you like best.

#58 – Blow bubbles. I like to do this with my dogs — but most people probably blow bubbles with their kids. Both kids and dogs quickly become enamored with bubbles that blow away in the wind or pop when they’re touched. To make your own homemade bubbles, combine 1/4 cup of dish soap with 3-3/4 cups of water. For even larger homemade bubbles, add these ingredients. You can use just about anything with a round opening as a “wand” — just dip it into the soap solution before you wave it into the air. (Some ideas: a coffee can or plastic cup with both ends cut out, large cable ties, drinking straws, wire or plastic hangers, even the open handle of a pair of scissors.)

#59 – Exercise. I put this one at the end because — for me — it’s not “fun” to workout. Pilates is my fave. It’s the only type of workout that I don’t hate (because I can literally feel the stretch in my arms, legs, and core — so I know it’s working). I have a Pilates machine, and when I’m bored at home or feeling blah, I try to hop on for a few minutes while I’m watching TV. That way, I’m not a complete couch potato! By the way, here are 5 Pilates moves that don’t require a Pilates machine. Yoga is another low-stress form of exercise I like. (For what it’s worth, I keep my Pilates machine set up at all times to make it easier to workout on a whim. If you happen to have a catwalk overlooking the living room like we do, I think it’s the perfect place to keep it — because no one ever walks there!) Here are 15 of the best free workout apps to help you work out at home.

I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” ideas that most wouldn’t think of. As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about. I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).

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I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money -- so I write about "outside the box" ideas that most wouldn't think of. (I've written over 3,000 articles here so far!) As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I'm truly passionate about. I've worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo -- to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). Read More…

Jeep guy. Harley owner. Publisher of a few of dozen websites. Tech geek. Hydroponic lettuce & veggie farmer. And I get to play on the Internet for a living! (Would you believe we have more than 7,500 articles here at The Fun Times Guide?!) Read More…